Category: For the Soul

Hey beauties! I recently subscribed to http://www.vegancuts.com for their subscription boxes for the snack box and beauty box and love them! I figured I would share what I got this month. The boxes allow you to choose what type of plan you want, or if you don’t want to do a monthly or yearly subscription there are also boxes that you can buy outright one time. They also have a market place with lots of goodies for everyone!

Hello beauties! So I know I told you on my last video that I was transitioning to more raw eating (still vegan of course), and would share with you how my week typically has been going. I am not eating 100%, more like 60-80%. I am feeling better and you definitely can feel a difference in mood and energy even with just the short time, and not a full transition. Eating raw vegan has been shown to diminish signs of depression, increase energy and stamina, create healthier glowing skin, cure illness and disease, and many other wonderful things, and honestly why wouldn’t it? We are eating power packed nutrients that the earth herself is providing. My face has not really broken out, and I have not worn foundation at all the last couple weeks because of it. My hubby and others keep complimenting on my skin, so these little things help me want to continue to stay raw.

So, what have I been eating for my raw meals? I start my mornings off with soaked steel cut oats. I love these because not only are they packed with protein and fiber and extremely versatile, but they are so easy and excellent for me to grab on the mornings when I coach and have to be out the door at 4 a.m (yes leaving my house at 4)! These, well actually my lunch meals too are all super easy and can be changed up in so many ways, even though the base is the same. For the oats all you have to do is get some steel cut oats, place them in a jar with your favorite raw nut milk, and then add your favorite fruits, seeds, nuts, and spices. Close the jar and store in the fridge until ready to eat (note that it takes about 5 hours for them to soften, I make a whole weeks worth at the end of each week that way I always have some ready). My staples to all my morning oats are of course the oats and nut milk, along with chia and hemp seeds, and usually cinnamon. I like to add apples and raw walnuts or almonds, bananas with raw cashew (a little bit of raw carob powder is good too), blueberries with my favorite raw nut butter (tastes like pb&j Sammy), and papaya with raw sunflower seeds and some agave. The creativity is endless.

For lunch or dinner I have been doing a green smoothie which I mix up between kale and spinach and some kind of fruit, along with chia and hemp seeds. If I don’t do the smoothie I have been doing kale salads, which I am currently obsessed with. These too, can be super versatile and delicious as well as very easy to make. I add kale, a fruit, a nut, and other raw veggies and alway season with cayenne pepper, and either lemon juice, a balsamic and/or EVOO or raw agave. A few of my fave varieties are the kale with red onion, tomatoes, carrots, celery, apples/pears, and almonds with a coconut balsamic and a habanero EVOO, or a mix of the kale, raw sunflower seeds and raw cashews, cinnamon, a little cayenne, and raw agave. These salads are superfoods packed with nutrients and lots of fiber as well keep you full. Note that kale must be chewed in its entirety for it to fully digest properly, otherwise it can sit heavy in your stomach. For this reason I chop it in the food processor after I chop it up by hand. Most of us are always in a rush and are never on a slow mode in life, my husband is like this and eats his food super fast and doesn’t thoroughly chew it. So make sure you chop the kale really good and chew completely =)

Snacks are easy, I just nosh on some fresh fruit or veggies with my favorite raw nut butter, or have some seeds and nuts. Try these out and make them your own! Let me know which is your favorite morning oat, green smoothie, or kale (or green) salad!

If you are wanting a nutritious and delicious meal that takes 5 minutes to make, then look no more! I made this yummy raw carrot soup last night and it was super refreshing, especially in this humid Georgia summer month! For the soup you will need 6 medium carrots, 2/3 cup raw almond milk (or you could use your fave plant milk, and if you don’t have raw used your store bought), a handful or two of fresh parsley, and salt, pepper, garlic, and cumin to taste.

Now to make, just add it all in a food processor or blender and blend until well blended! Add about 1 1/2 Cups of boiled water, give it one more pulse or two to mix and then serve in warm bowls (pop the bowls in the microwave if you would like to keep the soup warmer for longer). Garnish with a drizzle of your plant milk and some parsley. Enjoy!

Y’all I am still loving being a part of the Grove Collaborative community! Got my second shipment and again I was not disappointed! Still have great prices and love that it all gets shipped to my door! Plus I yet again got some freebies thrown into the mix! Don’t forget to check them out! You will get some awesome gifts in your order too! And lets be honest, who doesn’t like shopping from their pj’s sans bra or brushed teeth, and getting the items delivered to your doorstep with some free stuff!?!?!

I am a carb person! I love hearty dishes with pasta, garlic bread, and pastries. Just because I went Vegan doesn’t mean I have to give up on these comfort foods of mine. I always get excited when I can have a soul warming dish that tastes good and is heathy too, not only for me but for the animals who weren’t harmed for the meal as well! These lasagna rolls are so delicious and my 5 year old gobbled them up! For this recipe you will need:

Whole wheat lasagna noodles

8 oz of sliced mushrooms

1 clove of garlic minced ( or dry garlic to taste)

1 Tbsp of olive oil

1 15.5 oz jar of marinara sauce (or make your own by blending up some tomatoes, onions, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper)

10 oz of fresh or frozen spinach

8 oz of vegan nut ricotta cheese ( I used mozzarella because I had it on hand)

1/2 Tbsp of nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp of salt and pepper

2 Tbsp of fresh basil

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees and cook noodles according to package. Put your oil in a pan and sauté the garlic and mushrooms until browned. Add in your marinara sauce and bring to a boil and then simmer until the sauce is thickened. Stir your spinach, vegan cheese, salt, pepper, and yeast until blended in a big bowl. Take your noodles and spoon the spinach mixture onto the noodles and roll up and place them seam side down in a greased 9inch baking dish. Poor the mushroom sauce over the rolled noodles and any extra spinach mixture you have on top and place in the oven

for about 20 minutes or until its bubbly. Sprinkle with basil, serve, and enjoy!

So since the weather decided to be cold again, I decided to warm up with some yummy soup. I whipped together some lentils and spices, and I have to say that this is one of my faves now. For this soup you will need: lentils, vegetable broth, chili powder, curry powder, ginger, fire roasted tomatoes, and water. I also added cashews in the mix to spice it up and give it a crunch.

Put about a cup of lentils in with about 2 cups of broth and a cup of water. I was rushing for this dinner, so I didn’t measure anything at all! Lol. Drain your can of fire roasted tomatoes and add to the broth and lentils. Season with about 2tsp of the chili and curry powder, and about a tsp of the ginger. Add the cashews if you would like and cook, stirring occasionally until the lentils are tender.

Serve with some garlic bread and garnished with parsley and cashews. Enjoy the warmth from this savory and simple dish. =)